At the Gates of Mordor
Matthew 27:13-14
“Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.”
“Aragorn said naught in answer, but he took the other’s eye and held it, and for a moment they strove thus; but soon, though Aragorn did not stir nor move hand to weapon, the other quailed and gave back, as if menaced with a blow.”
At Redemption City, we have a word that we throw around in the men’s groups: gravitas. The easiest way to understand gravitas is that feeling you get when a certain man walks into a room, and with him comes safety, security, peace, and power. You probably have a man you think of as you read this, perhaps your husband, father, brother, or Jake Renken. Gravitas requires not that you speak loudly or eloquently, not that you be of a certain size or stature, but rather that you simply exude a certain kind of heavenly confidence, holy assurance, cosmic easy-goingness, or in a single word, hope. Gravitas is the presence of a man that overflows hope that goes far beyond a wish or a dream, but rather is certain of his mission and of higher purpose to be accomplished through his mission.
We see this in an excerpt of The Return of the King when Aragorn and company are faced with a foul enemy, a representative of Sauron, at the Black Gate of Mordor. When this dark enemy makes threats and accusations to Aragorn, the rightful king, Aragorn says nothing. He simply meets his gaze, and the force of his gravitas found in his gaze alone, assails the dark foe.
Jesus, also the rightful king on trial before a dark enemy, was faced with accusations from a representative of the Beast in which He does not raise His voice in defense. Rather, he keeps silent and meets the gaze of his accuser. Pilate’s response to this is amazement, wonder, confusion. I imagine the same question ran through both the minds of the accusers, “Who is this man who stares death, darkness, and a seemingly certain defeat in the face and does not waver?”
And yes, a certain defeat was imminent for both. The armies of Mordor surrounded the company and outnumbered them 10,000 to 1. Many were slain, and hope in even the strongest of hearts flickered. And Jesus was mounted on the cross as His friends and followers watched in horror, bringing a sense of defeat so heavy that even the most zealous of disciples would deny Him in public multiple times. But in these moments of greatest despair, evil was still defeated and the rightful king took his throne.
It is through men of great resolve, sure hope, gravitas, that cosmic battles of good and evil are won. Every time a wife feels safe in her home, children laugh before bed, bills get paid on time, great enemies are defeated. Every time a young lady feels protected in the church, a widow feels provided for, or a single mother’s driveway gets shoveled, the darkness quakes. When the church gathers to sing and pray and hear the word preached, the gates of Hell are rattled. Mordor was defeated. Death was defeated. Who else can withstand the day of reckoning with a man of gravitas?
-Brian, and your elders